With its foam construction and base-free form, the ‘Togo’ was groundbreaking when it was launched by designer Michel Ducaroy for Ligne Roset in 1973. Inspired by the malleable yet sturdy properties of a tube of toothpaste, its low to the ground profile made it the perfect seat for the informal style of entertaining the era ushered in. More than fifty years on, these projects from the ELLE Decoration archive show why the seating is a modern classic and more coveted than ever.
The Milan apartment brimming with iconic furniture
This living room in the home of architect Massimo Adario, located in Rome’s Palazzo Sacchetti, features a trifecta of design heavyweights. Two leather ‘Togo’ armchairs flank the red 1980s ‘Tria’ coffee table by Gianfranco Frattini for Acerbis, while the floor lamp is an original ‘No. 1080’ by Gino Sarfatti for Arteluce.
The bubble-gum pink set in a Melbourne home
Designers Fiona Richardson and Belinda Hall used artwork and playful furnishings to merge the stately rooms of this Italianate mansion in Melbourne with newly renovated spaces. In the living room, a ‘Togo’ sofa and armchair in bubble-gum pink offset the ornate period detailing of the ceiling, from which hangs a ‘Ball Bubble’ pendant by George Nelson for Herman Miller.
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The ’Togo’ upholstered in blooming florals
‘I hold myself back with pattern sometimes because clients don’t always go for it, but I am a firm believer that everything can go together,’ says designer Heidi Caillier, who initially wanted to cloak this entire living room, including curtains and walls, in a floral pattern.
That was a step too far for the clients of this Seattle home, but the compromise was to chintzify a ‘Togo’ sofa, matching footstool and wall light in ‘Flore Batik’ fabric by Scalamandré.
The leather armchair that defines a cosy snug
Designed by Julie Harkin for clients in London’s Walthamstow Village, this room at the back of an open-plan kitchen/dining space is made cosy with lime-plastered walls in mossy green, and furniture pieces designed for lounging. A black leather ‘Togo’ armchair and matching footstool take pride of place in one corner, paired with a bespoke wallhanging by Sussy Cazalet.
The sunny yellow ‘Togo’ in an art-filled home
The Barcelona abode of Juan Moreno Lopéz-Calull, director of interior design and art consultancy John Brown Projects, is part showroom and part home. Brimming with artwork and unexpected hues (see the colour-changing stripe that wraps around the doorways and tops of the walls) it also features iconic furniture pieces, including a ‘Togo’ armchair and footrest in a cheerful mustard colour.
A pair of fireside chairs in a Melbourne home
The characteristic curved shape and all-foam construction of the ‘Togo’ makes it the ideal chair to curl up in. This cosy snug in a Melbourne home features two fireside chairs (perfectly positioned beside the original 1930s fireplace) along with a textural rug from Lahandira.
The fun house with a ‘Togo’ sofa in the games room
The relaxed seating style of the ‘Togo’ makes it perfect for a games room, and that’s exactly where designer Tiffany Duggan installed this orange sofa. The sprawling Hertfordshire home is dedicated to good times, boasting a cinema, gym and pool house alongside the vast games room – ‘You can’t really tell from the outside the fun you are about to walk into,’ she says.
The original ‘Togo’ in a Hampstead home
Original leather ‘Togo’ designs are particularly sought after, and this delightfully slouchy settee in a Hampstead home shows how their gently rounded form looks even better with time. Designed by architecture firm McLaren Excell, this light-filled reading room also features a vintage Jorge Ferrari Hardoy ‘Butterfly’ chair, picked up at Spitalfields Market, and an artwork by Czech painter Petr Veselý.
A concrete home that’s an ode to the 1970s
Victoria-Maria Geyer took inspiration from the architecture of 1970s LA when designing this brutalist home by architect Ernst Gisel in Zurich. She paid homage to the era by sourcing period pieces such as a pale pink ‘Togo’ sofa and Willy Rizzo coffee table.
An Edwardian colour scheme in a London home
Original Edwardian hallway tiles in pink, tan and mustard inspired the colour palette of this London home. The ‘Togo’ sofa, which was an early request by the homeowners, wraps around the living room giving it a luxurious members’ club feel, while its rich caramel colour pairs perfectly with the colour scheme dreamt up by designer Tiffany Duggan.
